forecast

/ˈfɔːkɑːst/

//ˈfɔːkɑːst// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"forecast" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“forecast” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,143. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,143
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To estimate how something will be in the future.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forecast · forecast · English

forecast · rank #6,143 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,143
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH flies

Nearest frequency peer: flies (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “forecast”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “forecast” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

forecast vs forest
75% similar
forecast vs foremost
75% similar
forecast vs forecasted
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for forecast
PropertyValue
Headwordforecast
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈfɔːkɑːst/
Letters8
Frequency rank#6,143
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “forecast”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).forecastlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “flies” (#6,142), “flags” (#6,141), “governance” (#6,145). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forecast” is #6,143. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around forecast (IPA /ˈfɔːkɑːst/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,143 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for forecast, with forms such as "fforecast", "foercast", and "forceast". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "forest", "foremost", "forecasted", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forecasten, forcasten, equivalent to fore- + cast. The noun is from Middle English forecast, forcast. The correct English form is forecast, spelled F-O-R-E-C-A-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To estimate how something will be in the future.
  2. 2
    To foreshadow; to suggest something in advance.
  3. 3
    To contrive or plan beforehand.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how forecast appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. to forecast the weather, or a storm
  2. to forecast a rise in prices

Etymology

From Middle English forecasten, forcasten, equivalent to fore- + cast. The noun is from Middle English forecast, forcast.

This word in other languages

predecir(Español)prévoir(Français)vorhersagen(Deutsch)prever(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforecast
  • foercast
  • forceast
  • foreacst
  • forecasst
  • forecastt
  • forecats
  • foreccast
  • forecsat
  • forrecast
  • froecast
  • ofrecast

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of forecast - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

fforecast1foercast2forceast2foreacst2forecasst1forecastt1forecats2foreccast1
Edit distance from "forecast"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "forecast"?
"forecast" is spelled F-O-R-E-C-A-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔːkɑːst/.
What does "forecast" mean?
As a verb, "forecast" means: To estimate how something will be in the future.
What words are commonly confused with "forecast"?
"forecast" is commonly confused with "forest", "foremost", "forecasted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "forecast"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forecast" is /ˈfɔːkɑːst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "forecast"?
From Middle English forecasten, forcasten, equivalent to fore- + cast. The noun is from Middle English forecast, forcast. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "forecast", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

earliest#6,133disagree#6,130mentions#6,164potatoes#6,170

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

passionate12 variantssurrender12 variantsseverely12 variantssenators12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list